is a video game series created by
Namco, is a Japanese corporation best known as a former video game developer and publisher. The company is most famous for creating Pac-Man, the best-selling arcade game in history...
and Klonoa Works, as well as the name of the titular character of the series.
Setting and gameplay
The games are set in different worlds, though the primary and known ones are Phantomile and Lunatea. It revolves around Klonoa and how he, the Dream Traveler, must save whatever world he is in from utter peril. Along the way he makes new friends and enemies, some of them becoming reoccurring characters. The game itself was originally the first side scrolling 3D game. It is an adventure and puzzle type of game. The series have "moo" which are enemies, though you use them to get through levels by grabbing them and either throwing them or using them to jump higher.
Characters
- Klonoa: Klonoa, the protagonist, is described as a "Dream Traveler", who is fated to travel to various places where the state of dreams is in danger. His traditional voice actor is Kumiko Watanabe, though he is voiced by Eric Stitt in the English version of the remake of the first game. He is most notable with having Namco's main mascot Pac-Man
is an arcade game developed by Namco and licensed for distribution in the U.S. by Midway, first released in Japan on May 22, 1980. Immensely popular in the United States from its original release to the present day, Pac-Man is universally considered as one of the classics of the medium, virtually...
on the side of his blue hat and his appearance is similar to sonic the hedgehog. He is young and good-hearted, and is willing to go against all odds to make sure justice is served. He is easily able to befriend characters along the way who support his cause. His attitude is innocent and even a bit naive, as shown in Klonoa 2Klonoa 2 could refer to:*Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil for PlayStation 2*Klonoa 2: Dream Champ Tournament for Game Boy Advance...
.
- Huepow (renamed "Hewpoe" in the Wii remake): A small round sprite that Klonoa found within the ring he discovered in the forest. He instantly became Klonoa's friend and became a source of power for his Wind Bullet. Closer to the end of Klonoa: Door to Phantomile
is a 1997 video game developed and published by Namco for the Sony PlayStation video game console. The game's story focuses on an anthropomorphic creature and a "spirit" encapsulated in a ring....
, he reveals that he is a prince and that he sent Klonoa into his world to help Lephise give the Song of Rebirth. They part ways when Klonoa is sent back to his world, though he makes appearances in the spin-offs in his sprite form.
- Ghadius: The spirit/king of darkness and primary antagonist of Door to Phantomile. He was sealed away for attempting to rebel, but later escaped from this seal with the aid of Joka in order to exact his revenge on those who locked him away. A bit like the King of Sorrow, Ghadius believes that people should not forget about nightmares, and accept them as they do with dreams. Ghadius has been the most 'evil' character in the Klonoa series, and the only one who isn't working to achieve greater power, but only for the purpose of revenge. He is finally defeated, but not before shrouding the land in nightmares and reviving the perfect nightmare, 'Nahatomb' (His last words were, "Hear me, strange dream! This world is coming to an end! And the perfect nightmare is about to begin!").
- Lolo: A priestess-in-training who first showed up in Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil. Like Hewpoe, she can transport inside Klonoa's ring to let him perform the Wind Bullet. Additionally, she makes appearances in Dream Champ Tournament and Klonoa Beach Volleyball. In Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil, she plays the second most important role, after Klonoa, being invaluable help to him by allowing him to use his ring ability, and as motivational support. She appears to have feelings for Klonoa. During Klonoa 2, she shows that she is very insecure about herself and her powers, as the other priestesses will mock and laugh at her (as dramatically revealed at the end of the Maze of Memories level). In time she gathers the strength and courage to show that she isn't as weak as they thought.
- Janga: Known as "Janga with Poison Claws" or "Poison Claws Janga", he most psychotic feline in the series. He is dressed in a navy blue trench coat and a matching hat and has giant red-magenta colored poisonous claws in place of hands. Janga is fowl-mouthed, rude, an alcoholic, and in the end a cowardly villain who will run off when he sees he's met his match. He is by no means a character to be respected as he is also a betrayer against his own team. His only appearances are in Densetsu no Star Medal and Namco X Capcom
is an action RPG/tactical RPG hybrid game for the PlayStation 2 console, developed by Monolith Soft and featuring characters from games produced by companies Namco and Capcom.-Storyline:...
, which have not been released in America. In Namco X Capcom he shows off interest in the character Felicia from Darkstalkers, who finds him repulsive.
- Garlen: Is a dog-like mechanic villain in the video game Dream Champ Tournament. He is the host of the tournament, wearing a green lieutenant-like outfit, one hand is replaced by a claw and an eye patch covers one eye. . During the game play, we learn that he isn't as kind of a host as he plays off to be. In Klonoa Heroes he is the leader of the Moth Conspiracy, working alongside Janga and Joka.
- Guntz: (Gantz outside Japan & Europe. Namco
, is a Japanese corporation best known as a former video game developer and publisher. The company is most famous for creating Pac-Man, the best-selling arcade game in history...
intended to downplay his usage of firearms.) Called the "Golden Killer" or "Shinigami Guntz", he is an adventurer who wields a large handgunA handgun is a firearm designed to be held and operated by one hand, with the other hand optionally supporting the shooting hand. This characteristic differentiates handguns as a general class of firearms from their larger counterparts: long guns such as rifles and shotguns , mounted weapons such...
and rides a motorcycle. He is Klonoa's ultimate rival, and will constantly compete against Klonoa in the tournament in Klonoa: Dream Champ Tournament. Though they are about the same age, Guntz is a lot more collected and mature than Klonoa. His attitude is a lot more serious and even a bit cold, though he isn't an actual villain, as he ends up befriending Klonoa and they work together in later games. He has a rough past with Janga, and will stop at nothing to make sure his enemy is taken down.
- Suiryu: A blue dragon who competes with Klonoa at the Southern Resort. Though he lacks any real formalities, he has actually been trained as a knight before entering the tournament. As an expert swimmer, he feels that he has a natural edge in the competition. In fact, he has another identity hidden from other competitors.
- Chipple: A boxing kangaroo
A kangaroo is a marsupial from the family Macropodidae . In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, especially those of genus Macropus, Red Kangaroo, Antilopine Kangaroo, Eastern and Western Grey Kangaroo...
who competes with gloves and a head guard that covers his eyes. He usually displays a positive attitude and encourages others to do the same. Although, he does become sad and insecure when he fails to achieve a goal.
- Joka (named "Joker" in the remake and Japanese versions): A maniacal round cat-like clown. In his older appearances he has no arms or legs, just floating hands and feet. In the remake he is given black arms and legs that end up being removed without reason in his boss battle. Often resorts to cheating and other underhanded tricks in order to win. Joka appeared in the first Klonoa game, Door to Phantomile (as well as it's remake), and is a loyal servant to Ghadius. He ends up being destroyed by the end of his boss fight, but ends up making appearances in a few other games in the series. This helps question whether or not there's an actual storyline in the series, or if Klonoa is really dreaming.
- Popka: Lolo's talkative friend who resembles a dog with pointed features and a pair of green jewels for eyes. His first appearance is in Klonoa 2, and also appears in Klonoa Heroes and Dream Champ Tournament. He is the opposite of Lolo, being loud-mouthed and pushy, though he is a very caring and loving friend. He has the ability to fly when he stretches out his arms, and can be used as a playable character on the second controller who gives Klonoa a jumping lift when needed.
- King of Sorrow: The ruler of a kingdom ignored by the other kingdoms in Lunatea. He summoned Klonoa into Lunatea in order to help him. The King of Sorrow states that he is using Klonoa as a vessel for the pain he suffered in isolation, and was killed in the battle that resulted. Klonoa did, however, activate the bell in the kingdom of Sorrow so the king's legacy would live on, and people wouldn't ignore sorrow anymore. In the credits a baby resembling him is shown in the arms of the high priestess, hinting that he was either reincarnated, or this may be his child.
- Emperor Jillius: The emperor of Leljimba in Empire of Dreams
Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy is a documentary about the making of the original three classic Star Wars films: Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope , Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back , and Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi .The original cut of the documentary...
. He is a lavender colored sort of fox-feline character who suffers from insomnia. He banishes dreaming from the entire empire, with Klonoa's adventure beginning once he is arrested for dreaming. He is manipulated by his supposed trusted right-hand man Bagoo.
- Grandpa: Klonoa's grandfather and only known relative in the series. In Door to Phantomile, he is a kind old man that helps and give advice to Klonoa and Huepow, but ends up being killed by Joka. He makes another appearance in Klonoa Heroes, continuing to show either the lack of a storyline or Klonoa dreaming in the series.
- Nahatomb: The perfect nightmare. Said to be a demon who was sealed away a long time ago from spreading nightmares throughout Phantomile and was defeated by Klonoa. He acted as the final boss of both versions of the first game, and was unique in being the only boss in that game to have three different phases. Also appeared in Klonoa Heroes as the final boss battle. Nahatomb had a different appearance in Klonoa Beach Volleyball were he appeared as a hidden character, wearing a bow tie and had a cigar on his mouth and had feet and lacked the second pair of eyes he had in the first game.
Games
The
Klonoa series began in early 1997 in
Japanis an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and was critically well received by numerous gaming publications and magazines.
Klonoa: Door to Phantomileis a 1997 video game developed and published by Namco for the Sony PlayStation video game console. The game's story focuses on an anthropomorphic creature and a "spirit" encapsulated in a ring....
was not only Klonoa's first adventure, but also one of the first
PlayStationThe PlayStation is a 32-bit fifth generation video game console released by Sony Computer Entertainment in December ....
platformers to feature two-dimensional character artwork on a rendered, three-dimensional backdrop. This led to the creation of the phrase
2.5D to distinguish it between other games that either relied totally on one or the other. Since
Door to Phantomile, several other games have employed this method. A remake of
Klonoa: Door to Phantomile by the same name was released December 4 in Japan for the
WiiThe is a home video game console released by Nintendo. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of both...
console. It features completely revised graphics and voice acting, as well as many unlockable bonuses that were not in the original. These include new costumes, Mirrored Visions, and challenge areas. This version was released in the US on May 5, 2009 and in Europe on May 22, 2009
Klonoa's second appearance,
Kaze no Klonoa: Moonlight Museum was released solely in
Japanis an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
for the Japanese-only
WonderSwanis a handheld game console released in Japan by Bandai on March 4, 1999. It was developed by the late Gunpei Yokoi's company Koto and Bandai. The WonderSwan was made to compete with the Neo Geo Pocket Color and the market leader Nintendo's Game Boy Color .The WonderSwan was later replaced by...
handheld system in 1999. It is noteworthy for being Klonoa's first handheld appearance and his first fully two-dimensional one. Despite lacking the artful style of the first game,
Moonlight Museum set the standard for the approaching
Game Boy AdvanceThe Game Boy Advance is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color...
titles like
Klonoa: Empire of DreamsKlonoa: Empire of Dreams is a video game developed and published by Namco for the Game Boy Advance and released in Japan and North America in 2001 and Europe the following year...
the following year. Though it was very similar in style and execution to the previous game, it was developed for the more sophisticated
Game Boy AdvanceThe Game Boy Advance is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color...
hardware and was also available in North America and Europe.
Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veilis a PlayStation 2 platform video game by Namco released in 2001. It is the sequel to 1997's Klonoa: Door to Phantomile. It was planned for Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil to be ported to the Nintendo GameCube, but the port was canceled....
was released for the
PlayStation 2The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony. The PS2 console is the sequel to the original PlayStation console. The successor to the PlayStation, and the predecessor to the PlayStation 3, the PlayStation 2 forms part of the PlayStation series of video game...
with moderate success in 2001. It returned to the series' roots and had more in common with the original game than the other titles in the series. This game used a cel-shading method for the characters and also marked the first appearances of several prominent
Klonoa characters, such as Lolo, Popka, Leorina and Tat. It has been stated in many game magazines that it is "The most underrated game of all time" and that it did not get as popular as it deserved. It is a very child friendly game, with a story line that they could easily understand, but at the same time had a lot more powerful message going through various points of the game which the older gamers would understand and enjoy, thus reflecting the first games premise of being appeling to children and adults. It's different types of gameplay includes a standard set of plat-former levels in the "2.5D" style, hover-boarding down snowy mountains and water-parks, time-attack challenges, puzzle solving, and epic boss fights, introducing the "360 degrees" system.
A third handheld title,
Klonoa 2: Dream Champ TournamentKlonoa 2: Dream Champ Tournament is a video game developed and published by Namco and released on the Game Boy Advance in Japan in 2002 and North America in early 2005...
was released for the
Game Boy AdvanceThe Game Boy Advance is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color...
in
Japanis an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
in 2002 with a heavily belated release in North America three years later. Utilizing the same game engine as
Empire of Dreams,
Dream Champ Tournament was a similar gaming experience that benefited from more sophisticated puzzles and featured a newer cast of supporting characters.
His sole sports title,
Klonoa Beach VolleyballKlonoa Beach Volleyball is a sports spin-off from Namco's Klonoa video game series released as a budget title in the last few years of the PlayStation's commercial lifespan. Its release was limited to Japan and Europe only...
released for the PlayStation in
Japanis an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and later Europe, featured Klonoa and his friends in a unique version of
volleyball Volleyball is an Olympic team sport in which two teams of 6 players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules...
. A North American version was never made.
Klonoa Heroes: Densetsu no Star Medal was released solely in
Japanis an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
in late 2002. Taking a unique twist on the series, the game is an
Action RPGAn action role-playing game is an loosely-defined video game genre based on role-playing combat systems. Games in the genre features an gameplay much more similar to action games rather than an genuine Role-playing game system.-Classic action RPGs:...
, rather than a platformer and is played from a top-down perspective.
- Klonoa had cameo appearances in Moto GP, Alpine Racer 3 and Taiko no Tatsujin
is a series of rhythm games created by Namco. The series has seen releases for the arcade, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Wii, Advanced Pico Beena, and mobile phones....
.
- Klonoa and Guntz appear as a playable duo in Namco's cross-over RPG, Namco × Capcom. They retain similar moves from Klonoa Heroes. Joka, Janga & various varieties of Moos also appear as a part of the game's enemies while Lolo & The High Priestess of La-Lakoosha appear as non-playable characters.
- In Tales of Symphonia
is a video game first released for the Nintendo GameCube and later for the PlayStation 2 in Japan. It debuted in Japan on August 29, 2003, in Canada and the United States on July 13, 2004, and in Europe on November 19, 2004. The game received a Japanese-only PlayStation 2 release on September 22,...
, the character Presea could get a Klonoa costume.
- In Tales of Hearts
is the eleventh mothership title in the Tales series exclusively for the Nintendo DS, which was released on December 18, 2008 in Japan. Tales of Hearts
' characteristic genre name is...
, Klonoa appears as a summon character.
- In Tales of Vesperia
is the tenth mothership title in the Tales series. It was developed by Namco Tales Studio and published by Namco Bandai Games for the Xbox 360. The title was announced on December 22, 2007 at Jump Festa, and was released on August 7, 2008 in Asia, and on August 26, 2008 in North America...
, Klonoa appears in the form of a fellowship statue named (C) F Statue.
Manga
Shippuu Tengoku Kaze no Klonoa is a comedy/slapstick Manga that, unlike the somewhat more serious tone from the videogame saga, features Klonoa as a good natured, yet clumsy kid obsessed with being a super hero. His attempts to make good deeds tend to fail or cause the opposite effect, due to his being overly enthusiastic, his habit of jump to conclusions and, sometimes, just because of bad luck.
His patient sidekick is a Moo, who is the postman of Breezegale.
Garlen is the main villain, trying to scam or catch Klonoa but failing every time, making a fool of himself in the process.
The Manga borrows characters, villains and locations from most of Klonoa's games,such as Lolo who makes an appearance in almost every comic,but instead of following any canon personality or storyline, it simply puts Klonoa and Moo in lots of everyday situations that quickly snowball into huge confusions or spectacular (and painful) accidents.
Development
Klonoa was designed by
Yoshihiko Araiis a video game character designer working for Namco Bandai Games. Arai is the designer for the Klonoa series and some games in Tales series.-Games credited:* 1997: Klonoa: Door to Phantomile* 2000: Tales of Eternia...
. Arai's first design, "Shady", had a shadow-like appearance. However, he felt that the lack of color did not seem tasteful, and dropped the design. His next design was created with cat eyes and long ears, as Arai felt that a person's eyes and silhouette are the features noticed when they are first met. He added a large hat with a Pacman emblem on it and collar to give the character a childlike and energetic quality. The design was kept and used for Klonoa.
Fans are frequently in debate on what Klonoa is, although it is generally accepted he is closest to an exotic cat. In an interview with Nintendo Power, he is stated to be a "Cool floppy-eared cat." He even shows that he has a disliking for carrots and would rather have a hamburger.
External links